The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-27
THE PRESS OPINIONS.


The Tucker Bill is not sweeping the
country by storm as it swept the House
of Representatives. On The contrary
it is not even meeting with intelligen
popular approval. We have already
quoted the editorial comments of sew.
eral of the leading newspapers of the
country, in which the bill is denounced
as unconstitutional and as treading
upon dangerous ground. With re-
markably few exceptions the great
journals of the country like the New
York Tribune, New York World, New
York Erening Post, and so on, protested
against the proposed legislation, and
some of them denounced it. Those
editors who justify and approve the
measure do so wholly on the ground
of expediency. the end justifying the
means. In some matters this rule may
be applied in safety, but never in max
ing laws. In legislation it is subversiVe
Of rights, and is revolutionary in'the
extreme. In addition to the editorial
comments which have been reproduced
in The HERALD we give those found
below this morning as indicating the
fears and impressions of the thinking
men of the nation who can afford to
look at matters intelligentIy and in
GOODNESS. On the 18th, the day the
Tucker bill came up in the House, the
Washington Post, the leading Demo-
cratic newspaper in Washington, and
one o; the ablest journals in the land.
said:
1t is understood that there is good deal
of difference of opinion in the House juoici
arg committee touching the constitutional.
i'y Of some features of the Mormon bill |
which is set for consideration to- day: 1t is |
proposed, IL we read the bill correctly, to
extIngutsh what is known as the Mormon |
church and divide or scatter its property
among those who do not believe in its teDets |
or practic s.. In other words, the Constitu
tion, which prohibits the establishment of |
any church or form of religion, is to be in |
voked to dis, stablish and extirpate an OBJ |
iectionable creed. This strikes pretty deeply |
at the root of rel gious freedom, and the d s.
cussion of the que IT. n, if tbs permitted to |
ne discussed nationally and impartialiy, will
interest a good naly persons who are |
neither Mormons nor lvgamists. 1t is not |
preSum2tious, we nope to invoke members |
OF the House to proceed with caution and |
candOr.
On the same day the Washington Re
publican, the anti-administrat ton organ
of the capital, and perhaps the leading
of the city, thus cautions
against the BILL
1t seems that the judiciary committee are
not agreed upon the terms of the. Utah bill
to be called up to-day. The principal feature
OF 1t Is TO authorize the sttorney-General to
institute a suit to abolish and wind up the |
Mormon Church and distribute its property.
This presents quite grave and interesting
question. The power of the government to |
suppress church by direct proceedings
against it by its Attorney General, instituted
Tor that avowed purpose, has heretofore been
supposed to be wanting. If such power ex-
lists it includes the power to determine by
law what is and what is not religion If this
bill, should it become law, be sustained by
the courts, all hereSy can by statute be
weeded out of our theology, and Congress
Will become the great ecumenical council
ana dOgmatlc religion put on the firm basis
OF law. The country viii naturally watch
this controversy with interest.
On the 14th instant, two days after .
The passage of the bill, the Washington
Critic, an able and independent journal,
L an editorial discussion of the
measure said:
There will be difference OF opinion as to ]
he wisdom and justice of the policy en-
bodied in the bill. It's friends assume that
he maladyis of such a desperate nature SIS
% require heroic treatment. Its opponents
would prefer to wait upon the slow attri.
ions OF time, and the pressure of public !
opinion to wear out the evil.
The New York Tribune, which stands
1t the heal of the Republican papers,
Iays:
That the Mormons will, if the new law
,oes into effect, contest it on constitutional =
grounds is already certain, and there is a
body of opinion at Washington
which holds that such contes. must result
n the notification of the law.
The Rochester Herald (Republican)
aid on the 14th:
The polygamists had their spokesman. ,
Delegate Caine, on the floor; but, Though he
made good speech, his plea was in vain.
There are some featureS of tho hill which |